Sodium is an essential nutrient your body needs to function properly, so the real challenge is balance.

The problem is that the average American currently consumes around 3,400mg per day, often without realizing it.

Traditional salt is primarily made up of sodium chloride. Most people in the U.S. consume more sodium each day than health officials recommend, mainly because sodium is common in processed foods and ...

You don’t just crave it; you need it! Salt contains one of the nutrients that the body can’t actually make on its own—sodium. In fact, you have to consume it regularly so it can perform various ...

It’s not just about avoiding sodium—potassium is good for you on its own.

Reduced-sodium salts look, work, and taste just like regular salt. So why hasn’t a global salt-switch happened? Each year, at least 1.9 million people die from a heart attack or stroke linked to ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. The average American consumes about 3,400 milligrams of sodium per day — well above the recommended limit of 2,300 mg daily.

Claire is Lifehacker's Senior Food Editor. She has a B.S. in chemistry, a decade of food journalism experience, and a deep love for mayonnaise and MSG. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say salt is the ...

Not exactly, says Amy Bragagnini, a clinical oncology dietitian and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It’s more about the amount you’re consuming. The FDA's 2020-2025 Dietary ...

Aliza Chasan is a Digital Content Producer for "60 Minutes" and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza ...

You don’t just like salt—your body actually needs it. Sodium is an essential nutrient the body can’t make, so you have to get it from food to support key functions that keep you healthy each day. That ...